On 03 September 2024, Ambassador Jaime Victor B. Ledda called on Director Pierre Ferring of the Directorate of Foreign Trade and Investment Promotion, Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, Defense, Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, to discuss potential avenues for collaboration and to explore opportunities in Luxembourg’s economy and trade.

Director Ferring, a former non-resident Luxembourg Ambassador to the Philippines, spoke kindly of the warmth of the Filipinos and of its culture. On the PH’s booming economy, Director Ferring noted the PH’s entrepreneurial potential and belief that the country has much more to offer other than its labor force.

Ambassador Ledda shared the efforts of the Embassy towards establishing cooperation with Luxembourg in various fields, particularly in the space industry and in finance. He also shared the recent discussions with the University of Luxembourg and talks on potential collaboration with the Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA) for curriculum-related and R&D partnership.

With SES Satellites and CHAMP Cargosystems, two Luxembourgish companies currently operating in the Philippines, Ambassador Ledda and Director Ferring expressed the hope of more Luxembourgish companies investing in the Philippines to explore more concrete projects with the PH.

The two officials also discussed the possibility of an informal meeting between Secretary of Foreign Affairs Enrique A. Manalo and Luxembourg Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Xavier Bettel on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in September 2024, which could lead to a high-level visit of Minister Bettel to Manila in the future.